OPM, GSA Extend Hurricane Response Actions

kevin couch

3 months ago

OPM has granted agencies authority to make temporary excepted service appointments of up to one year, with allowable extensions of up to another year, for work directly involved with the recovery and relief efforts associated with Hurricane Harvey or Hurricane Irma.

Public notice is not required when filling jobs in the excepted service but agencies must apply veterans’ preference, OPM said in a memo, and if seeking to select a non-preference eligible over a preference eligible, agencies must follow standard pass-over procedures.

“As a reminder, temporary employees who are hired for more than 90 days are entitled to benefits to include health insurance, dental/vision, flexible spending accounts (medical and dependent care). Temporary employees hired under this authority are not eligible to participate in the Thrift Savings Plan, the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance program, or the Federal Employees Retirement System,” it said.

OPM separately extended to Hurricane Irma the special workplace charitable solicitation outside the CFC it earlier authorized for Hurricane Harvey. Agencies are to choose charities to receive the contributions; the special solicitations must end by September 29. GSA similarly extended to Irma special procurement authorities it had earlier authorized related to Harvey.

OPM also earlier authorized an emergency leave transfer program in response to Harvey; it said it is monitoring the situation regarding Irma and may authorize such a program for that hurricane, as well.